Savannah‑Chatham County schools report mostly smooth first day, flag localized HVAC, staffing and transport issues

Savannah‑Chatham County Public Schools officials said at a media briefing that the district opened its first day of school with broadly smooth operations, while calling out localized HVAC and moisture problems, ongoing hiring needs and some transportation delays.

The superintendent (name not specified) said district staff handled 405 transportation calls on the first day and resolved 305 of them. The district also reported a 22% increase in student participation in the universal free-breakfast-and-lunch program; one school saw long lunch lines and is considering adding an extra lunch period.

The superintendent described the new meal service as “free breakfast and lunch to all students. No forms and no fuss. Every student gets breakfast and every student gets lunch,” and said early data show families are taking advantage of the program.

Chief of Police Terry Enoch described the district’s security screening and backpack policy. “Mesh and clear book bags…add to how we keep our schools safe,” Enoch said, and he said the district has moved to “100% screening” to speed checks and detect contraband. Officials said any supplies temporarily confiscated would be returned to students or provided so students can remain in class.

District officials described a local partnership with Chatham Area Transit (CAT) to help with student transportation. The district said 29 CAT passes were issued in an initial offering and that an additional 180 requests were submitted over the weekend, for a total of 209 students who have signed up so far.

Facilities staff reported several HVAC or moisture issues at specific schools. The chief operations officer, Miss Davidson, said teams responded to HVAC problems at Hess K‑8, Rice Creek K‑8, Southwest Middle School and Islands High School, and that Servpro had performed remediation work at Charles Ellis after a restroom overflow. Davidson said the district is running air‑quality tests and working toward long‑term fixes. The superintendent added that Savannah Classical, a charter school, will handle some maintenance differently and that the district will use a prioritization rubric to sequence repairs.

Officials said the prioritization will be governed in part by the schedule of payments from a passed local referendum — referred to in the briefing as the East Bloss referendum — and that money will arrive in installments rather than in a single disbursement. “We don't get all of the funding at 1 time. It comes out in pay in payments, and we have not received a payment for East Bloss 5 yet,” the superintendent said, adding that projects will be handled “as the money comes in.”

On staffing, the superintendent said the district hired employees over the summer, citing “456 new employees, a 197 support staff, and that also includes 250 classroom teachers,” and that 45 first‑year teachers joined this year. Officials said substitute levels were within normal ranges for the start of school and that human resources is actively filling vacancies, including bus drivers, custodians, paraprofessionals and special‑education teachers. Chief Academic Officer Derek Butler said earlier increases in services for students with autism changed classroom counts and created some new staffing needs; he said most of those additional classrooms are staffed.

Officials urged families to be patient during dismissal, noting traffic congestion is expected on the first day. The superintendent closed by saying the district will not end its workday until every student is delivered home safely.

The briefing mixed information provided as status updates (transportation calls, meal participation, remediation in progress), staff directions (air‑quality testing, use of a prioritization rubric, continued hiring), and operational outcomes (temporary confiscations handled, passes issued for CAT). No formal board actions or votes were recorded in the transcript.